Joined: Jan 31, 2008 Posts: 1 Location: The greatest cricket nation in the world
I must admit to be saddened by the recent "goings on" between India and Australia.
I have been watching "An Aussie goes Bolly" recently and have been appalled - no, thats not a strong enough word - ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED - by the behaviour of the Indian fans.
I personally know a lot of Indians - many of them trying to migrate to Australia (understandably - we are a clean, developed, uncrowded, healthy, educated country full of opportunities - unlike India, so who could blame Indians for flocking to Australian shores) and I have always found them to be a friendly people.
After watching an episode of "An Aussie goes Bolly" though I am not so sure. If it had been one or two Indian fans yelling racial abuse during the game (in Mumbai at Wankhede Stadium) I would have dismissed it as a couple of idiots in the crowd (there are always a couple of idiots at any sporting event, unfortunately) but there were HUNDREDS (possibly thousands) of Indian supporters yelling things like "Monkey" and chanting "Aussies suck".
Now, I understand a bit of competitive banter but thats just going a bit far and, as an avid cricket fan and lover of the Australian cricket team, it makes me very, very mad.
Not only has the Indian team threatened to "take their bat and ball and go home" if the charges against Harbhajan were upheld but they have flatly denied any form of racism!!
In fact India did its best to close its eyes and ears to the Harbhajan Singh racism saga in the hope it would finally go away, denying it had planned to abandon its troubled tour if Tuesday's appeal hearing had gone against it and reflecting on the "wonderful relationship" it has shared with Australia. Then went on to say, in a Press release from the Indian Cricket Board - "The Indian board realises the game of cricket is paramount but so too is the honour of the Indian team and for that matter every Indian. To vindicate its position, the board will fight the blatantly false and unfair slur on an Indian player."
BLATANTLY FALSE?? Hardly. "I am satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that Harbhajan Singh directed that word at Andrew Symonds."
A quote from Mike Procter, the match referee, Jan 6
And now we have hundreds, if not thousands of madly devout (possibly to the point of idiocy) Indian cricket fans screaming racist remarks from the stands during games.
It's funny though. They don't behave in this manner when they are in Australia - mind you, I wouldn't like to see them try it. There would be no trial, no judge or jury deciding their fate, just very, very angry Australians .
Maybe the Indians are just fed up of not being the worlds number one team (yes, yes they're the 20/twenty Champions - big deal, if you look at the ICC web site it only lists the Test and ODI rankings - no one takes 20/twenty seriously which is probably why the Australians weren't playing with their strongest team during the competition) and they only have 1 player in the top ten rankings for BOTH bowlers and batsmen (Kumble), not even the "Great" Tendulkar is in the top ten batsmen!!
I used to respect the Indian cricket team and the Indians love of cricket. Now, well, lets just say I would certainly NEVER go to India (and be racially abused??) and have lost a LOT of respect for them as a cricketing nation.
ALL Indians should be ashamed - if not for what has happened here in Australia then for the (undisputed, video taped at Wankhede Stadium) behaviour of Indian cricket fans towards the Aussies on "An Aussie goes Bolly" screened on Foxtel recently.
I have heard so much about this documentary. Many australians I know who are calm and moderate like myself were outraged with how the crowd acted. So it must have been really bad. Hope it is not a representative of all cricket crowds in India.
I just think that all cricket crowds around the world(Indian, Australian, England etc etc) should try and improve their behaviour. 95% do the right thing, it is the 5% that is a complete embarrassment. Just because a person pays their admission into the ground doesn't give them the right to hurl racist insults at people.
First up, I am with you guys on callling the Mumbai crowd's behavior unacceptable. Having said that, you must also appreciate that despite all the criticism levelled at them, the crowd did allow Gus to shoot his film and there was no harm caused to him or any Aussie anywhere in India.
Now you guys also have to try seeing the things from the other side. Messers Symonds, Ponting, Clarke et al. are no paragons of virtue, please listen to what the rest of the world is saying about them. Do not be blinded by your national loyalty or ethnocentric feelings.
After all, how can you expect Indians to criticize the behavior of Mumbai crowds if you are not willing to accept the failings of your own team?
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